Brewing Outside on Propane

Brewing outside can be a really fun experience. It saves time for a number of reasons. First, there is is less cleanup to do before hand and afterward. Second, the water boils a lot faster than on a stove. I have waited 45 minutes to boil 3 gallons on a gas stove, but with propane it is closer to 10 minutes. Another benefit is the smell of the wort is not kept inside the house, making it easier on your family *if* they don’t like it for some odd reason.

There are of course a few downsides. It is easier to get a boil over because there is so much heat going into the kettle. I am also careful not to burn ingredients on the bottom of the kettle. Propane can be dangerous to work around, so make sure the fittings are safe and the tank is secure.

Here is an image of me brewing some English Pub Bitter. There is under 15 minutes left as the wort chiller coil is already hooked up. For instructions on how to build a wort chiller, click here. Turning on the hose and letting it shoot the warm water into the lawn is fun and I used that water to rinse out the hops bags. Cooling with wort chiller took about 10 minutes!

Make sure to check the weather ahead of time.